Can You Let Go? Network Management Becomes Attractive Option for IT

Managing an organization’s IT infrastructure includes a multitude of complex services, all with the underlying goal of benefiting business. So what happens when one service increasingly eats up time and money, shrinking resources for new development?

Business can suffer.

According to a Robert Half IT Hiring Index and Skills Report, 70 percent of IT budgets is being spent on supporting and maintaining existing network infrastructure. Additionally, 73 percent of CIOs surveyed report that it’s getting harder than ever to find the qualified IT skills they demand most: network administration.

Because of this environment, IT departments increasingly are considering outsourcing their network management to third-party providers. It’s an option that can bring significant benefits such as:

Reduced cost of ownership

Access to external expertise and intellectual property

Improved operational performance

Better allocation of internal IT resources

What’s more, managed network infrastructure also can be great for threat prevention and security within the corporate network. Outsourcing security services also can bring the benefit of resource allocation. After all, when a cloud-based provider handles threats and security risks to a company, IT professionals have more time to focus on more strategic areas — which is good for business.

Despite these clear benefits, some IT professionals might still have qualms about offloading their network operations to a third party. We’d counter that outsourcing network services doesn’t mean losing control of their infrastructure — it’s gaining a helping hand in an area that can be a trouble spot for many organizations.

The need for network administration support and the costs associated are driving IT professionals to go down the third-party path. Have you already made the move? What benefits has your organization seen as a result of outsourcing network infrastructure services? And what lessons have you learned through outsourcing that you’d share with other IT professionals?